Furnishing fabrics (excluding pile and chenille fabrics)

Plain weave cotton furnishing fabrics, dyed or printed

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 5209 41 40 (Furnishing fabrics excluding pile and chenille fabrics) is subject to import controls administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the ITC (HS) import policy. A Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate confirming the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes is mandatory under General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy, as amplified by DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

What this is

HSN code

5209 41 40

Chapter

52 · Cotton

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, General Note 10 — azo-dye PSIC requirement

Customs documentation

Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from accredited lab
Test report from Textile Committee or CSRTI
ITC (HS) policy declaration from DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, or a valid test report from a Textile Committee (TC) or Central Silk and Rayon Textile Research Institute (CSRTI) laboratory, certifying the absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. This document must accompany the bill of entry at customs.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
2
Verify whether the country of origin qualifies for the azo-dye testing exemption. Imports from EU member states, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo-dye testing; imports from all other origins must carry a compliant PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that a certificate of origin from an exempt country substitutes for the PSIC entirely. The azo-dye testing exemption applies only to the azo-dye parameter; other prohibited hazardous dye categories remain subject to the PSIC requirement regardless of origin. Filing a bill of entry without a valid PSIC or TC/CSRTI test report — even for an otherwise exempt country — exposes the consignment to detention and ground rent pending remedial documentation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 5209 41 40 require BIS certification?

No, plain weave cotton furnishing fabrics are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the ITC (HS) import policy, with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement for prohibited azo dyes under General Note 10.

Which countries are exempt from azo-dye testing for this tariff line?

EU member states, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom only, per DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023; imports from all other countries must carry a PSIC from an accredited laboratory or a valid TC/CSRTI test report.

Can a test report from a domestic laboratory substitute for the PSIC at the bill of entry?

A valid test report from a Textile Committee (TC) or CSRTI laboratory is accepted as an alternative to the PSIC from an accredited foreign laboratory, but both must certify absence of prohibited hazardous dyes in conformance with General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) policy.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.